Central pillar container



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10 413 2f z5 11 W3 25 Patented Feb. 3, 1942 UNITED STAT sspgPArsN-r orties CENTRAL'PILLAR CONTAINER. Nicholas inein'anapaniel nwhyte, New York,

N. Y., assignors to Julius Schmid, Incorporated,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York` Application June 1, 1939, Serial No. 275,766 (o1. zoe- 1) 2 v Claims.

This invention relates to containers ofl the screw-top type, especially those in which the top and the body are provided with spaced coacting lugs arranged so `that they can be broughtinto and out of engagement' by turning the 'top on the top have been located on the inside of a flange depending from they margin of the top. Usually thev top and body of the container are molded, or stamped, a method which, while cheap, is not well adapted to the production of exact accuracy of form, especially with regard to screw threads, lugs and the like. Hence, a lug on one side of the top may be in firm locked contact with the corresponding lug on the body before the other lugs are in operative contact with each other. As a result, the top and the container mouth are drawn together at one side only. This difficulty may be overcome by using a rubber gasket which, being resilient, allows the top to be drawn down on one side until the lugs on the other side are in engagement. The use of a gasket, however, not only involves an added element, but has the further disadvantage that the gasket is liable to become displaced'and lost.

Another disadvantage of the previous type ofr screw-top containers is that the method of securing the tops does not lend itself to the production of multiple tray containers. Where the locking engagement is between the outer wall and the top, the wall cannot be made of a series of separable annular nested sections, each of which forms the outer margin of a tray, for the reason that the only operative connection between the base and the top is the outer wall, which must therefore be integral.

The principal objects of the present invention are to overcome these objections to the screwtop type of container.

According to the present invention, the body of the container is provided with a central pillar on which are formed screw threads or inclined lugs for engagement with corresponding screw threads or lugs on the underside of the cover. The downward pull produced by such engagement, beingexerted on the `central portionv ofthe top, causes the outer edge ofthe top to be pressed against the entire periphery of the mouth of the container with rsubstantially uniform pressure at all points. This' occurs even though there is only one part of the screw thread or'only one lug actually operative. If desired, the `contacting surfaces of the top andvessel mouthcan be ground or. machined to give such close contact that, irrespective -of inaccuracies in the `form of the screwthreads or lugs, the container when closed is practically air-tight, even in theabsen'ce of a rubber gasket or the like.

. Another features of the invention is the arrangement of a series of `annular nesting trays surrounding the central pillar `*and clamped betweenthe base and top by interlocking meanson the pillar and top, respectively.

One suitable embodiment of my invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1l is a top plan View of the container with part of the top broken away;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the various parts of the container separated from each other; 1 Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 vof Figure Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the container top;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the upper tray of the container with its contents removed;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the base of the container with its top, two upper trays, and contents removed;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 'l-'l of Figure 4; and

Figure 8 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale taken on the line' 8-8 of Figure 6.

As shown, the container comprises a base IIJ having VaV central pillar II and an upstanding flange I2. Resting on the upper margin of the flange I2 is an annular tray I3 having a peripheral flange I4. On this flange I4 rests a second tray I5 also having a peripheral flange I6. Seated on the ltop of the flange I6 is the'top I1 of the container. On the underside of the top and each of the trays is a shoulder, shown more particularly in Figure 3, the function of which is to hold all four parts in concentric relation.v

It will be noted that the anges I2, I4 and I6, taken as a unit, form the sidewall of the container and` for manyv uses the trays may `be omitted and the container made with an integral side Wall extending from the base to the top.

Around the top of the pillar are a Series of outwardly extending peripherally spaced lugs 20. As shown, they are four in number spaced 90 apart. Depending from the underside of the top is a flange 2l having an equal number of inwardly extending lugs 22 spaced the same distance apart. These lugs 22 are shorter than the distance between the lugs 20, so that when the topis placed on the container or removed therefrom, the lugs 22 can pass between the lugs 2U. One set of these lugs, as shown the set 22, each have an inclined face 23 for'wedging engagement with the other set of lugs. Both sets of lugs could have similarly inclined surfaces, but that is unnecessary for practical operation.

As the base, trays and top are held together centrally, the peripheral wall of the container may, as shown, be divided into sections, one for each tray and one for the base, so that each tray can be grasped peripherally and lifted oi the tray or base below as soon as the top has been disengaged from the pillar.

The container illustrated is designed specically for holding a series of rubber rings 25 of graduated sizes. For holding these rings in place upstanding projections 26 are formed on the bottom of the base and of each tray.

We do not limit ourselves to the specific size, shape, number, arrangement, or material of parts as shown and described, as these are given simply for the purpose of clearly describing the devices of our invention.

What we claim is:

1. A container comprising a base having an upwardly extended peripheral Wall and an upwardly extended centrally positioned cylindrical pillar extending above the upper edge of the Wall having a plurality of outwardly extended peripherally spaced lugs in its upper portion, a plurality of stacked upwardly flanged receptacles supported on said Wall each having a centrally positioned opening adapted to receive said pillar, said anges forming the exterior of the device when said pillar is extended through said receptacle openings, a top member having an interior recess adapted to receive the upper portion of said pillar, a plurality of Wedge-shaped lugs carried by said top adapted to be placed beneath said pillar lugs, adapted to aiix said top to said pillar by a partial revolution of said top.

2. A container comprising a base having an upwardly extended peripheral wall and an upwardly extended centrally positioned cylindrical pillar extending above the upper edge of the wall having a plurality of outwardly extended peripherally spaced lugs in its upper portion, a plurality of stacked receptacles supported on said wall each having a central opening adapted to receive said pillar, said pillar extending above the topmost receptacle, a top member having an interior recess adapted to receive the upper portion of said pillar, a plurality of wedge-shaped lugs carried by said top and extending into said top recess, said lugs being capable of being passed beneath said pillar lugs and to afl'ix said top to said pillar.

NICHOLAS KLEIN. DANIEL D. WI-IYTE. 

